Washington State Historic Schools

[Pages:117]Washington State

Historic Schools Status 2002

Written & Compiled by Mary Jane Honegger

For the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

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Washington State HISTORIC SCHOOLS STATUS 2002

I. Introduction.................................................. 2

II. Definition of Historic Schools............................ 4

III. Washington State Schools Background................ 5

IV. Washington State Schools History Timeline.......... 13

V. School Profile Introduction & Index................... 15 1. Continuous Use Historic Schools.................... 19 2. Renovated/Modernized Historic Schools.......... 19 3. Historic Schools With a Successful New Use...... 20 4. Historic Schools That Are Endangered............ 21 5. Historic Schools That Have Been Demolished.... 21

VI. School District Profile Introduction.................... 89 1. Riverside School District #416....................... 93 2. Colville School District #115......................... 96 3. Seattle School District #1............................. 97 4. Spokane School District #81......................... 98 5. Walla Walla School District #140................... 99 6. Wenatchee School District #246..................... 100

VII. Washington State Policy Summary & Recommendations................. 101

VIII. Bibliography................................................. 103 IX. Suggested Reading.......................................... 104 X. Methodology................................................ 115

Ever since the time...

of the territorial government the citizens of Washington have been interested in providing education for their children, and the state can rightfully be proud of her educational record. In his message to the first territorial legislature, Governor Issac Stevens strongly urged that educational opportunity be provided for every youth. Acting upon his suggestion, the legislature passed a law establishing a common school system in Washington Territory.

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I. INTRODUCTION

In response to growing concern over the continual loss of historic schools, The National Trust for Historic Preservation added historic neighborhood schools to its annual list of American's Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in June of 2000.

A grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology of the National Park Service provided funds for a national study of historic schools and the schools that are replacing them. The resultant report, "Historic Neighborhood Schools in the Age of Sprawl: Why Johnny Can't Walk to School" by Constance E. Beaumont with Elizabeth G. Pianca was published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in November 2000.

Together, these two actions awakened the American public to the plight of historic schools across our nation. In response, this project was made possible by a generous grant from the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. The project was directed by the Washington Trust Historic Schools Committee. Committee members included Teresa Brum, Brian Krueger, Linda Milsow, Joanne Moyer and Brian Westmoreland.

Much appreciation is extended to those who took the time to respond to requests for information for this report, including the Members of the Board for the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and Certified Local Government for Historic Preservation directors in the state. Special appreciation is extended to the many Washington State Daughters of the American Revolution who sent helpful information about local historic schools they were familiar with. Others to thank include school officials who graciously responded to contacts for confirmation or additional information.

Mary Jane Honegger

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FOCUS

The focus of this report is to determine the current status of historic schools in Washington State as we reach the 21st century in an effort to:

? Increase public awareness of the steady loss of Washington State historic neighborhood schools.

? Raise recognition that once gone, these historic structures cannot be replaced. ? Interest residents in compiling inventories of their historic neighborhood

schools. ? Encourage communities to place their historic schools on historic or landmark

registers. ? Urge the public to request that their school districts become good stewards of

their historic schools by providing proper maintenance programs for them. ? Encourage individuals to request that their school districts consider

renovation and modernization rather than demolition of historic schools. ? Provide models of successful modernizations of historic schools as proof that

these schools can be economically modernized to meet all of today's school and building requirements. ? Advise Washington State residents, especially in smaller communities, that site requirements are merely guidelines, not mandatory requirements. ? Raise recognition that the enormous schools being built on the outskirts of communities to replace the historic neighborhood schools, cause sprawl and loss of sense of community. ? Remind residents that nearly every school study concludes that students perform better in smaller schools. Today, many larger schools are striving to find the sense of community that most historic neighborhood schools have enjoyed for many years. ? Alert Washington State residents to the fact that other communities all across the nation are successfully fighting to save their historic schools ? mostly from a grassroots level.

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II. DEFINITION OF HISTORIC SCHOOLS

For the purposes of this report, a historic school is defined as any school building that is fifty years old or older. This definition is a commonly accepted definition of a historic property, as defined by the National Park Service and is used as the criteria for an historic property in Washington State and throughout the Certified Local Governments in the State.

National Policy:

Preserving historic properties as important reflections of our American heritage became a national policy through passage of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Historic Sites Act of 1935, and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

In 1966, Americans were becoming aware of the damage being done to their heritage by modern development in the name of progress. In order to encourage preservation and the wise use of our historic resources, the National Historic Preservation Act was designed.

The 1966 National Historic Preservation Act defines historic preservation as:

"The active process of protecting and preserving our built environment for study, use, and enjoyment by present and future generations."

Washington State Policy:

In Washington State, the Act of 1966 resulted in the formation of the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and Local Certified Government for Historic Preservation. Later legislation, provided below, defined the importance of historic properties to residents of our state.

Importance of Historic Properties in Washington State

RCW Ch. 27.34.200: Archaeology and historic preservation ? Legislative declaration The legislature hereby finds that the promotion, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of structures, sites, districts, buildings, and objects of historic, archaeological, architectural, and cultural significance is desirable in the interest of the public pride and general welfare of the people of the state and the legislature further finds that the economic, cultural and aesthetic standing of the state can be maintained and enhanced by protecting the heritage of the state and by preventing the destruction or defacement of these assets therefore, it is hereby declared by the legislature to be the public policy and in the public interest of the state to designate, preserve, protect, enhance, and perpetuate those structures, sites, districts, buildings, and objects which reflect outstanding elements of the state's historic, archaeological, architectural, or cultural heritage, for the inspiration and enrichment of the citizens of the state. [1983 c 91 & 10.]

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III. WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOLS BACKGROUND

The historic schools scattered across Washington State at the beginning of the 21st century tell the story of education in our state. The fact that historic schoolhouses can be found in the furthest corners of each county in our state shows the commitment of early Washington pioneers to provide an education to their children.

The following is an excerpt from A History of Waverly and Pioneer Life Along This Part of Hangman Creek, by Glenn Leitz, 1999. It concerns Prairie View School, a little oneroom schoolhouse that closed in 1936. The building still stands in the far southwest corner of our state.

This is the last of the old local one

room rural school buildings to still be in existence in this region. Its physical condition is very precarious. The roof is almost completely deteriorated and most old wood buildings do not survive long after they are open to the weather. The bell tower and the framework still stand relatively straight and true, but the inside of the building and the floor is a shambles.

Once or twice a year I stop and look into the old building. My mind is always flooded with memories. Students that attended here until the mid30s are now senior citizens. At one time this school was the center for a little farming community. Social events and church services were held here, and oldtimers still fondly talk

about events at the "Little Red School" as it was known locally.

As I get ready to leave, I take a final look at the sagging porch and the gaping door

and windows. A last look at the bell tower brings thoughts of the events it looked down on and the people who passed under its shadow. As I drive away there is something

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surprisingly like a lump in my throat. A part of local history is soon to pass from the scene. What memories that are left will grow even dimmer. Glenn Leitz

In the Beginning...

Schools existed in what is now Washington State as early as the 1830s. According to some accounts, the first formal attempt at education took place near Spokane in 1830, when a local Indian, Spokan Garry, returned home from boarding school in Canada to teach his people. Inside a 20 X 50 foot framework of poles covered with tule reed mats, he taught lessons out of the books and Bibles he had kept from his five years at an Episcopalian School in Winnipeg.

Others credit a Yankee schoolmaster named John Ball for being the first teacher in the state when he held classes for children in Fort Vancouver in 1832. Whichever is the case, schools existed in our state as soon as the pioneers could make the arrangements.

Typical 1850 Log Cabin Schoolhouse

The earliest schools were held in whatever structure

was available. Often a settler's home, a church or other makeshift building was used. As soon as resources could be found, settlers built a schoolhouse, which was usually a simple log structure.

White River Schoolhouse

Mrs. (Grandma) Faucett outside the log cabin schoolhouse that she helped build. The Slaughter children first attended

These small schoolhouses became the centers of their classes there in the 1860s.

communities. Most of them had been built out of

local materials by the community members themselves. They were looked upon with great civic pride

by the communities they served, and were used for civic, political and religious events. Few, if any, of

these original buildings remain standing today, as they were not built to last, but rather to provide

immediate access to an education for area children.

The rapid growth of population following the close of the Civil War, coupled with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1880, led to rapid growth in the number of schools. The number of schools in the territory grew from 22 in 1869, to 415 mostly oneroom log buildings by 1880. By the time Washington became a state in 1889, over 1000 schoolhouses were scattered across the state.

Washington State Historic Schools...

As population grew, schools grew in number and the role of the schoolhouse in rural areas expanded. The schoolhouse was commonly the primary civic structure for miles around and often the only local institution supported by public monies and labor. Community residents often helped maintain structures and board teachers. The schoolhouse commonly served as a meeting place for political, religious, and other civic gatherings. As such, it assumed a role in the cultural life of rural Washington not unlike that of the small country church.

6 ? Garfield, Section E, p. 4

Typical 1890 Wood Frame Schoolhouse

Most of the schools built to replace the early log schoolhouses were woodframe structures, usually featuring a gable roof, central entry in the gable end, sash windows on the sidewalls and a single, undivided interior classroom. If finances permitted, a belfry was added. As the early communities grew, hundreds of these earliest schoolhouses became abandoned. Some were closed when the community built a new and larger schoolhouse to provide for a growing student population. Others were abandoned as improved transportation and the need for defined grades and curriculum led to school consolidations. No longer needed by the community, the little schoolhouses were either sold as surplus or were demolished by either design or neglect.

Pictured above is the first school in Spokane, circa 1878. The school was used until 1883, when

a new school for all Spokane Falls schoolchildren was built on the site where Lewis & Clark High School sits today. The little building was the first home of Spokane's first newspaper, the Spokane Falls Review, from 1883 to 1884. The former schoolhouse burned to the ground in Spokane's Great Fire of 1889.

Mrs. Pauley was the teacher at the Stuck Junction oneroom school during the 1880s. A

schoolhouse display has been erected at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn that was modeled after the Stuck Junction School on 29th and "A" Street SE.

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